Of course, it's hard to actually hear your gut begging for mercy, especially when your brain full of cravings and taste buds full of desire are the entire trumpet section. It's easy to ignore the signs. It's easy to chalk your Return of Monster Teen Acne up to hormones. It's easy to wonder if your weight gain is a result of simply forgetting the gym for a month straight. And it might be. Bodies are, after all, very complicated. Things happen. Skin gets wrinkly and muffin tops happen.

Still. As miraculously complex as the human body is, there are a few basic truths about the way it ticks. And one of those truths is: soda ain't good for the body. Even just one can of soda a day can affect everything from your bones to your butt size, but more importantly? One can of soda a day can destroy your DNA. In a recent American Journal of Public Health article, Cindy Leung and Elissa Epel explain that one can of soda a day contributes to "shorter telomeres [DNA that protects chromosomes] in ... white blood cells." What does that mean? Well, shorter telomeres are "associated with age-related diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease." Yikes! We'll keep our telomeres nice and long, thanks!

So, sit back, crack open a sparkly water, and sip your way through these eleven soda facts that'll have you glad you've decided to kick that 20-oz fountain soda habit, STAT.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your primary health physician for further advice.

Kidney stones are painful...like as painful or more painful as giving birth, if you can even fathom that. Only thing? No cute baby to nuzzle when it's all over. This study has found a serious link between soda consumption and kidney stones. (Do you really want another reason to pull out the Lamaze breathing?) #thanksbutnothanks

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2. Soda Increases Your Odds Of Getting Type-2 Diabetes

The possibility of getting a disease simply from drinking soda is oh, just a tiny bit TOTALLY FREAKY. Even worse? Studies indicate drinking just one soda per day will boost your Type 2 Diabetes risk by 25 percent. Check out this study and toss that aluminum can, stat.

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3. Soda Steals Your Extra Cash

If a bottle of soda costs $1.49 each, you'll be blowing through $543.85 a year. That's enough to fly to Barbados, Aruba, or Costa Rica. Take your pick, you clever money-saving girl, you.

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4. Soda Can Cause Infertility

Soda cans have BPA in them. Here's BPA in a nutshell. Technically called "Bisphenol A", BPA is a chemical linked to potential reproductive problems. When you purchase soda pop in an aluminum can, the can liner contains BPA, which can then leak into the soda. Yuck.

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5. Soda Makes You Fat

One soda a day equals 35 pounds of sugar in your gut. That's 15 extra pounds of fat per YEAR. And you diet drinkers get to quit it with the smuggery. Diet soda has been linked to weight gain, too. Read 'em and believe 'em.

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6. Soda Makes Your Teeth Look Nasty

Love the idea of your teeth dissolving straight out of your head? Us neither. It may sound like the stuff of yesteryear, but soda is linked to drug-addict-like dental decay issues (cavities ain't even the start of it) and can likely dissolve your tooth enamel. Do that million-dollar smile a favor and cut the sugary soda. It's crap for your teeth.

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7. Soda Gives You Wrinkles

According to several studies, high levels of phosphate in soda can accelerate the aging process. In English, that means more wrinkles, baby.

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8. Soda Can Cause Painful Heartburn

That painful, burning sensation in your chest (not to mention feisty, uncontrollable burpage), can be brought on by drinking soda pop, and trust us, the last thing you need is a reflux attack breaking in on your beauty sleep.

The Soda Tax has become a much talked about and hotly-contested issue in the fight against obesity. Truth is, it doesn't matter which side you stand on the issue. If you're drinking soda, you're raising the likelihood that you'll be paying out the arse for chronic health issues later in life (and those cost a lot more than the 6-pack you just purchased.)

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11. Soda Kills The Environment

Soda chemicals stay in the environment. The artificial sweeteners used in diet soda don’t break down and are prevalent in our water supply. If we don't want that stuff in our bodies, we hella don't need it hanging around in our water supply, either.